Trump lifted sanctions on Syria. But that playbook won’t work for North Korea.



Analysis Trump lifted sanctions on Syria. But that playbook won’t work for North Korea. Legal framework for DPRK sanctions makes it much harder for US to ease restrictions as part of future nuclear deal Chad O'Carroll June 13, 2025 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON Syrian President Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un \| Image: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia via Twitter, KCNA, edited by NK News When U.S. President Donald Trump visited Saudi Arabia this year, he made a surprise announcement after a meeting with Syria’s new president — one that may even have implications for North Korea. “I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness,” Trump announced in Riyadh, months after the new regime ousted former leader Bashar Al-Assad. “It’s their time to shine. We’re taking them all off. Good luck Syria, show us something very special.” The U.S. government took just days to convert Read More © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. LATEST ANALYSIS 01Trump lifted sanctions on Syria. But that playbook won’t work for North Korea. 02Why Kim Jong Un’s latest military reshuffle wasn’t tied to warship launch mishap 03High rollers: How North Korea could exploit casinos to finance nuclear weapons 04North Korea’s damaged warship begins repairs near port hosting Russia arms trade 05Lee Jae-myung pivoted right on North Korea. Will he stick to that as president? 06New effort to monitor North Korea sanctions is ‘shadow’ of UN Panel of Experts 07Why Trump’s Golden Dome could upset the ‘nuclear balance’ with North Korea 08More than just North Korean threats are driving ROK support for nuke submarines 09A fragile calm holds with North Korea — but don’t mistake it for stability 10Why Trump’s approach to Iran nuclear talks could reinforce North Korean distrust

Analysis

Trump lifted sanctions on Syria. But that playbook won’t work for North Korea.

Legal framework for DPRK sanctions makes it much harder for US to ease restrictions as part of future nuclear deal

Chad O'Carroll June 13, 2025

Trump lifted sanctions on Syria. But that playbook won’t work for North Korea.

Syrian President Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un | Image: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia via Twitter, KCNA, edited by NK News

When U.S. President Donald Trump visited Saudi Arabia this year, he made a surprise announcement after a meeting with Syria’s new president — one that may even have implications for North Korea.

“I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness,” Trump announced in Riyadh, months after the new regime ousted former leader Bashar Al-Assad. “It’s their time to shine. We’re taking them all off. Good luck Syria, show us something very special.”

The U.S. government took just days to convert

Trump lifted sanctions on Syria. But that playbook won’t work for North Korea.

LATEST ANALYSIS

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Chad O'Carroll